Month: August 2014

We took an amazing hike today – the best we’ve taken on Lopez. We started at the trailhead that normally takes us to Watmough Bay. Instead of going toward the water, though, we went up. And up. And up. At the top we were treated to an awesome view and a very cool rope swing that we all took a turn on. What a fun excursion.

Ruby had been crying wolf all day (“Dad, there’s a fire in the house; Dad, Henry’s bleeding, etc.”) So, when she yelled “snake!” from the living room, I didn’t hurry to investigate. Then I saw the snake behind the stereo. I jumped into action, barking orders at the kids (“Henry, get the tongs… Ruby, open the screen door!”) Once I had the thing captured, I calmed down a bit and asked Henry to take a quick picture. Then I flung her back to the wetlands where she belongs. The kids couldn’t wait to tell Kristine when she got home from the store.

Nothing says living on the beach like driftwood furniture. Some good wood ends up on our beach, and we used some today to make some coat hooks. Ruby picked some choice pieces from the beach, while Henry donated the driftwood he’d been using as a toy gun (perhaps the start of a Fry Lodge buy back program).

This morning we instituted a moratorium on screens at Fry Lodge. So, Henry and Ruby had to make do with old-fashioned toys, like tether ball. They somehow survived. Henry perhaps got the last word when, as we set out to check the crab pot, my outboard motor stopped working. So, I took us out into Mud Bay the old-fashioned way, by rowing. Henry was pretty amused. He took pictures of me struggling with the oars most of the way, shouting “stroke, stroke!”

We ended the night teasin’ the flame by the campfire. Kristine invented a new marshmallow variation: nectarmallow (roasted nectarines combined with roasted marshmallow). As with most of Kristine’s concoctions, I highly recommend this treat.

Today was art day at Fry Lodge. A few weeks ago, the kids and I made the routered sign that now serves as the header image for this blog and sits outside our driveway. Once people know you can make routered signs, the requests start to flow in. The first request came from Ruby, who wanted a sign for her club house. We made that this morning (she’s painting it below.) After that, I spent the balance of the day making six trailhead signs for our friend, Casey. I haven’t gone to bed with paint under my fingernails in quite a while. Feels good.